PEORIA, AZ (AZFamily) — The West Valley man convicted of beating his neighbor’s dog to death with a shovel has learned his punishment.
Maricopa County Judge Therese Gatz sentenced Kenneth McGaughey to 30 days in jail after being found guilty of one count of felony animal cruelty. He was also ordered to three years of supervised release, according to court records.
Police said McGaughey beat a chihuahua with a shovel in Peoria until it died on April 18, 2025, and the attack was caught on video. A grand jury indicted him less than a month later.
Peoria police said McGaughey claimed he intended to “smack the dog on the butt” using a shovel, but the dog turned and was hit in the head instead…